


The Charity Case

by Jassmine



Series: The Starling and the Rake [1]
Category: Mansfield Park (1999), Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Genre: (mostly), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Confusion, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Financial Issues, Introspection, Marriage Proposal, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jassmine/pseuds/Jassmine
Summary: Fanny lived on debt all her life. All her family did. And she wasn’t prepared to marry a wealthy gentleman with all the grandeur, rooms too large for her to move in with ease and a constant terror of mishandling something. And by that make herself indebted even more.And Henry just didn't get it. Although to be fair, she didn't get him either.
Relationships: Henry Crawford/Fanny Price
Series: The Starling and the Rake [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726675
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	The Charity Case

**Author's Note:**

> Please note, that english isn't my first language and I don't have a beta (if you don't count microsoft word and google translater backup). I also didn't write anything in a long time and even before that... most of it really isn't worth to mention. So I will be glad for all your suggentions and comments on grammar (or whaterver else you like).  
> I am now reading Mansfield park and I never had such a strange reading experience. After one chapter I am usually so full of it I can't continue. And I love it, but am very afraid I'll start to hate it. Also I feel like I take of it very different messege than Austen intended...

Fanny lived on debt all her life. All her family did. And she wasn’t prepared to marry a wealthy gentleman with all the grandeur, rooms too large for her to move in with ease and a constant terror of mishandling something. And by that make herself indebted even more.

Yes, she was afraid of poverty, but she was equally afraid of wealth. She wanted equality and partnership, when she allowed herself to dream wildly, she wanted love. But nevertheless, she didn’t want to be another charity case, feeling the weight of required gratitude all her life. No simple life was all she was asking for. When she was trying to imagine her ideal future life and her home, she always thought of herself as of a clergyman’s wife. And then Henry Crawford happened. She was never so confused in her life.

* * *

Having enough money was as natural for him as was the breathing. He never cared for them but spent them with pleasure. He knew, obviously, that there were a poor people in the world, but he didn’t realise he didn’t know what that truly means until he met her.

He didn’t even really notice her at first. He was too much distracted by Maria’s attentions. He wasn’t aware that poverty could make people invisible, but it could. For them, she was more of a piece of furniture than human being or member of the family. And he went with it – mostly unconsciously. And then suddenly, she was everywhere.

And he desperately wanted to make her happy. He didn’t realise she wasn’t used to extravagant gift or any attention really. He didn’t realise that his obvious wealth was more of a disadvantage when it comes to her. That she saw it as his way of showing superiority of his position and that this superiority frightens her. That she wants a partner, an equal.

Maybe it was because despite all his vanity, he honestly didn’t see himself very superior-like in their relationship. He knew she was poor and apprehended it even more when he visited her family. But for him, money never was a desired object, money was just one of the means to achieve happiness not the happiness itself.

Maybe he should have told her that she was making him much happier than money ever could. Maybe he should have told her that he has enough money, but scarcity of love and goodness. Maybe he should have told her that he wasn’t giving anything up for her, on the contrary he was selfish for wanting her all for himself. Maybe if he told her that he was the charity case here, she would have said yes.

**Author's Note:**

> Fanny's POV is mainly based on second chapter of Mansfield Park. Where we read how her relatives originaly treated her and about her reaction on the house. Like I said before I am not that far into the book, but I know the movie, so...  
> Henry... I am trying to figure him out, which is why his section is so much longer even though I tried to make them more balanced.  
> I am currently obsessed, so I am polishing one story that is a little longer. And I am certain there will be more of those little studies.  
> I will be glad for all your suggentions and comments on grammar (or whaterver else you like).


End file.
